Brown Sugar Maple Pumpkin Butter Bars (Printable)

Buttery crust topped with spiced maple pumpkin filling and brown sugar streusel. An irresistible autumn treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crust

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Pumpkin Filling

05 - 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
06 - 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
07 - 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
10 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Brown Sugar Streusel

12 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
13 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
14 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
15 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
16 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on sides for easy removal.
02 - Combine flour, brown sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in cold butter using a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
03 - Bake crust for 10 minutes until lightly set. Remove from oven and set aside while preparing filling.
04 - Whisk together pumpkin puree, maple syrup, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt in a separate bowl until completely smooth and well combined.
05 - Pour pumpkin filling evenly over the warm par-baked crust. Use a spatula to spread into an even layer.
06 - Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter in a bowl until crumbly and combined.
07 - Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over the pumpkin filling. Bake for 30 minutes until the center is set and the topping is golden brown.
08 - Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once fully cooled, lift out using parchment paper overhang and cut into 16 bars.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The three-layer texture creates that perfect bar experience: crisp buttery bottom, silky pumpkin center, and crumbly spiced topping
  • These bars freeze beautifully and actually taste better on day two when all the flavors have had time to become best friends
  • They look impressive enough for holiday gatherings but are simple enough for a random Tuesday evening craving
02 -
  • The center might still look slightly underbaked when you take it out, but it will continue cooking and firming up as it cools down
  • Room temperature ingredients for the filling prevent the melted butter in the crust from seizing up when you pour the pumpkin layer on
  • Cutting these bars while they're even slightly warm will result in messy edges, so wait until they're completely cool
03 -
  • If you're making these for a special occasion, prepare everything the day before and bake fresh that morning
  • The parchment paper overhang is not optional, it's your insurance policy for getting these out of the pan intact

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